This February marks 10 years since Dartmouth launched its house communities, an ambitious approach to residential life that has brought students, faculty, and staff together in lasting and meaningful ways.
A series of celebratory events kicks off with a Founders Day celebration on Thursday, Feb. 26. The celebration begins with a reception at the Top of the Hop in the Hopkins Center for the Arts from 5 to 7 p.m. and continues with a Club House dance party featuring student DJs from 10 p.m. to midnight. These festivities harken back to the 2016 launch event, when undergraduate students learned of their house affiliations, signed ledgers as “founding members,” and met as house communities for the first time.
Events will continue throughout the spring term, including an all‑house Field Day and the culmination of the annual House Cup competition on Memorial Day weekend, offering students multiple opportunities to come together across houses in celebration and friendly competition.
“Reaching this 10-year milestone is a moment to celebrate how far we’ve come and to recognize the countless students, faculty, and staff who have brought these communities to life,” says Nina Pavcnik, interim dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. “The house system unites faculty and Undergraduate Student Affairs staff around a shared mission. We’re integrating curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular experiences in ways that bring one of the School of Arts and Sciences’ most important goals to life—supporting students across every dimension of their campus experience.”
To mark the milestone year, house common spaces will be decorated with photos, memorabilia, and branded gear, honoring both a decade of house communities and the longer histories of the residence halls themselves. The celebrations will extend into the fall term.
A decade of connection and growth
Established in 2016, Dartmouth’s house system was designed to strengthen residential life, foster intellectual engagement beyond the classroom, and support students as they navigate the unique rhythms of the D‑Plan, which offers them the flexibility to pursue internships and research fellowships at any time of year.
“From the moment students receive their house affiliation before they even arrive on campus, they become part of a community that will support them throughout their entire Dartmouth journey,” says physics and astronomy professor Ryan Hickox, director of house community development.
The six house communities—Allen House, East Wheelock House, North Park House, School House, South House, and West House—are each led by a house professor who lives in a single-family home on campus and two residential education professional staff members. House activities are also supported by four graduate resident fellows, a team of undergraduate advisors, and a volunteer student house council. Together, they offer diverse weekly programming—from wellness workshops and social outings to intellectual discussions with campus partners, affiliated faculty, and distinguished guests.
Tenure-line faculty and most graduate students are affiliated automatically with individual houses. Graduate students from Tuck and some Geisel programs, as well as all staff, are invited to affiliate.
Over the past decade, the house communities have reshaped life on campus, creating new hubs for gathering, dialogue, and shared experience. Current housing renewal projects and new construction are creating spaces within residential halls for deeper community connections. The renovation of the 120‑year‑old Fayerweather residence halls, for example, includes a new, dedicated South House social center, and East Wheelock’s renewed Brace Commons does the same—opportunities to build the house system into the physical fabric of campus from the ground up.
“House centers have become the ‘living room’ spaces of our communities, where students can spend time with friends, chat with a staff member, or participate in a house program,” says Stacey Millard, associate dean of residential life. “Our staff and faculty are more visible in residence halls, and this creates greater opportunities for connecting with students and helping them build roots in the community to enable broader connections across campus.”
The house system continues to evolve through ongoing assessment and refinement, ensuring it remains responsive and relevant to students' changing needs.